Article transferring mechanism



May 21, 1935. l. c. BUCKMINSTER 2,001,314

I ARTICLE TRANSFERRING MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 10, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

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ARTICLE TRANSFERRING MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 10, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l. c. BUCKMINSTER 2,001,814

ARTICLE TRANSFERRING MECHANI SM Original Filed Dec. 10, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Wl/EA/TU/F.

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ARTICLE TRANSFERRING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 "Original Filed Dec. 10, 1930 M Z N n W 0 w 7 Patented May 21, 1935 1" ARTICLE TJTRANSFERRING MECHANISM Ira C'QBuckminster, Beverly, Mass assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation," Paterson,

NJ J5, a corporation of NewJersey Original application Deceinber:' 10, 19 3(l, Serial a No; 501,345.; Divided and this application July 7, 1933, "Serial No: 579,409

' 22 Claims.

5 fully disclosed in an application for -Letters Pattent Serial No.501,-345, filed December 10, 1930,-

(now- Letters Patent No; 1,938,689, dated December 12, 1933), of which the present application is a division. 7 b I The particular machine disclosed in saidparent application. is designed to form a; plurality of positioning holes extending from the bottom face of a last and to insert metallic plugs the respective holes, thus preparing thelast for .use, for example, in the practice of a method of last- -ing thetoes of shoes more fully explained in Letters Patent Nos. 1,674,060 and 1,723,301, Pym.

As herein illustrated, the present invention provides automatic means forcontrolling the delivery of plugs froma hopper to one orwmore 'raceways from which the plugs are transferred to tools, which may be the tools of a machine of the type referred to, by which the plugs'are' inserted in holes previously drilled in the bottom of the last.

More specifically, the illustrated mechanism comprises a hopper into which amass of metallic fplugs, each'ap'proximately cylindricalin shape but with one end frusto-conical, may be dumped,

the hopper being moved by one or more cranks rotating in a substantially horizontal plane to agitate the articles and effect their delivery from v the hopper through one or more exitpassages. Preferably, a flexible guideway, provided by two springs, extends between each exit passage of the movable hopper and the upper. end of astationary raceway. b

, According to a feature of the invention, the feeding or delivery of articles' from' the hopper to each raceway is controlled by a movable finger arranged in one position to engage articles in the raceway and cooperating with a stop movable by said fingerinto the path of said articles for interrupting their delivery to the raceway.

A further feature of the invention relates to novelmechanism for transferring the plugs from a table at the lower end of each raceway to an inserting tool and, as herein illustrated', that mechanismcomprises a pickerg'a, carrier for said picker and automatic means for moving said carrier both about an axis and axially to cause the picker to grasp an article resting. on said table andmove it therefrom to another position. Pref erably an ejector is mounted on the, carrier, and novel-means controlled by the movement of the carrier effects-ejecting and retracting movements ofthe ejector. 1

the present-invention, as herein illustrated by way of example, is embodied in mechanism for transferring plugs to be inserted in lasts, itwill be understood that this mechanism is adapted with or without obvious changes in formQfor use in transferring other articles to be used for other purposes. l l

Furthermore, the inventioncomprises various other combinations a'ndarrangements of parts and in which the respective parts are designated gener'ally'b'y' thesame referencenumerals as have been employed to designate the same parts in the said parent application.

In the drawings,

-Fig. 1 is'a front elevation of substantially acomplete machine for operating on lasts to which the plug transferring mechanism of the present applicationis, appliecL-the parts of the machine which particularly relate to said mechanism being shown with, shadeor heavy boundary lines;

I Fig. 2- is a side elevation ofthe machine; Fig. 3 is an-exploded view in perspective of parts of the plug agitating and feeding devices; Fig. 4 is a plan view oi the same devices and of the adjacentlportion of the machine;

Fig. 5. is asectional elevation of parts shown in Figs. 3 and 4; i

, ig. 6 is aplan view ona larger scale of the lower ends of the raoeways, and

Fig. 7 is a detail-view on astill largerscaleof one of the pluggtransferringdevices. s

'As fully; disclo sed in said parent application,

Serial'No. 501,345, the illustrated machine drills three holes to a predetermined depth in the bottom of a last'L and then solidmetallic plugs Pare;-

forced home into; the-holes. i

As illustrated in Figs. land 2, the machine includes a main frame 18 to the; top of whichis bolted a table I2 which carries various parts 'including last i positioning and clamping devices. The drills I36arerotated'rapidly-to bore three parallel holes extending from the bottom face of the last L at a. predeterminedangle, i. e.'substantially aright' angle; to the general plane of the forepar-tof the bottomofthe last and then three plugs Pare forced by inserting tools I38 to the bottoms of the holes so bored. l v r l The mechanism, to which the present invention particularly relates (herein referred to generally as: transferring -mechanism) comprises; means for agitatingyassorting, feeding and transferring plugs P automatically fromua hopper 320 to the inserting tools I38. As illustrated, a -mass of the plugs may bedumped'in'to the open'top hopper 320 supported with it's bottom 322 at anin-x clination to the horizontal. To facilitate the passage of the plugs through the three exit ports 324 and between vertical guide flanges 326 of the hopper, tworibs or wires 323, 330 are fixed on its bottom and two partitions 332, 334 are arranged in the lower corners and a stationary bar 333 hasv through the ports.

pins 348, 368 a precise distance apart.

The hopper 328 is supported directly on a frame or open box 338 (Fig. 3) but preferably adjusting means, such as screws 340, one of which is shown in Fig. 5, is provided for varying the height of the front end of the hopper, thus varying the angle of the inclination of its bottom 322. hopper is secured to the frame 338 in any suit- The able manner as by screws, such as 342 (Fig. 3).

v The frame 338 is supported on and slidable over a flat surface 344 formed on a part of a bracket 343 extending from the main frame of the machine. A rapid circular motion, approximately in a horizontal plane, is imparted to the frame 338, and the hopper 328 carried thereby, by mechanism which includes a crank pin 343 rotatable in a journal 350 in the frame 338, the crankpin being formed on a disk 352 at the upper end of a vertical shaft 354. The frame 338 is provided also with bearing surfaces 358 along which may slide a block 358 having a hole 350 (Fig. 5) therein fitting another crank pin 36! on a disk 362 forming a part of a second vertical shaft 364. The two cranksmay be of the same or somewhat different lengths or eccentricities. The drawings show various devices such as boss 386 and pipe 338 (Fig. 3) havingpassages for conducting oil to parts to be lubricated. The block 358 fitting between surfaces 358 is provided to ensure a smooth and quiet operation ofthe hopper agitating mechanism and to make it unnecessary, in

manufacturing the parts, to have the two crank Each of the two vertical shafts 354, 364 carries a spur gear 378, 312 between which is an intermediate gear 314 (Fig. 5). The shaft 354 to which the gear 310 is secured carries near its lower end (Fig. 1) a spiral gear 316 which is driven by a similar gear 371 on a shaft 232 which is driven through appropriate connections, as set forth in said parent application, from'the rotor shaft I16 of an electric motor I18.

The plugs P which pass through the ports 324 and between flanges 326 enter three race ways.

formed in part by a bottom plate 318 (Figs. 3 and 5), the upper end of which bears at its upper side against the under side of the bottom 322 of the hopper 328 and is supported by an adjustable post 388 which is secured by a set screw 382 in adjusted position in the bracket 346, the lower end of the plate 318 resting upon the table l2. Inasmuch as this plate 318 is stationary while the hopper moves, a flexible connection is provided between the two including a coiled spring 384 at each side of each port 324, one end of each spring being connected to the hopper and the other to the plate close to the entrance to one of three slots 386 which provide raceways to guide the plugs to the table 12 upon which, at the exit end of these slots, are stops in the form of ribs 388 which position the lowermost of the plugs, coming from the three slots, on the table in the relation shown particularly in Fig. 6.

For controlling automatically the delivery of the plugs through the ports 324 there is provided for each raceway and slot 383 a mechanism including a finger or feeler 338 adjustably mounted at the lower end of a lever 392 pivoted on the raceway plate 378 at 394 and carrying at its upper end a block 395 which is constructed for limited lateral movement relative to the forward part of the lever 392 being connectedto said forward part by a vertical pivot 398. Extending rearwardly from the block 396 and rigid therewith is a sleeve 4G8 and within this sleeve is slidably mounted a rod 482 carrying at its rear end a cross pin 484 slidable in a slot 406 in the block. To the rod at its rear end is pivoted another block 488 having a gate at its rear end in the form of a plate 418 of a size to close the corresponding port 324. -A coiled spring 412 tends constantly to maintain the block 438 at its maximum distance from block 396, the movement of the block 488 about its pivot being limited by the flanges 325 at the sides of ports 324.

Normally the three plug-controlling devices just described occupy the positions shown in Fig. 5 so that the plugs P may travel freely down the raceways and as any one encounters a feeler 398 it passes thereunder tilting the lever 392 about its pivot and moving the plate 4!!) into position to close the corresponding port 324. However, if the raceway below a particular feeler has not been filled that feeler will return to its normal position shown in Fig. 5 as soon as the plug has passed. If, however, the raceway below the feeler has been filled the next plugwill remain beneath the feeler and prevent it and its connected parts from returning to their normal positions and, therefore, the plate 418 will close the corresponding port and keep it closed until the plug then under the feeler has been permitted, by the downward movement of the preceding plugs, to move further down the raceway after which the feeler will resume its normal position allowing more plugs to pass through the port.

The mechanism for transferring the plugs from the position indicated inFig. 6 to the inserting tools I38 comprises three pickers or plungers in the form of rods 42E! slotted at their lower ends at 42I (Fig. 1) to clear ribs 388, each rod being cut away to form a flat surface, as indicated at 422 (Figs. 5 and 7), and having two spring fingers 424 so mounted on the rod 428 that the area between the lower ends of the fingers and the surface 422 of each rod is somewhat less than the area of a plug in cross section and the lower ends of the fingers are outturned so that, when a rod is moved vertically down froma position immediately above a plug, the fingers yield and the end of the rod passes over the plug, the fingers retaining the plug clamped laterally against each surface 422, but the plug may be ejected from the picker by an ejector rod 423. The three rods 428 are adjustably and removably secured to the rear end of a swinging arm 423 (Figs. 1, 2 and l) rigidly secured to a vertical rod 438 supported in the frame for both axial and rotary movement. A-

spring 43f normally holds this rod and its connected parts in a position in which the lower ends of the rods 428 will be at a height above the table somewhat exceeding the height of the plugs P.

For depressing the rod against the resistance ofthis spring, acollar-i 4321is=secured=to thezrod and is: provided with a groove 434 Hwhich receivesa main of: studse436 at? the forward end of aibifur- 'a cami288 (Fig.1 1 loose on a: shaft 228 and .driven :-'from the motor: I18 through appropriate: connecttionstasset forthin said parent application. For oscillating the. rodv430, ran. .arm1444: is secured :at -its=.=lowerrendaandshas:securediat its outerend a jvertical pm 446 which. has a slidingv fit. in t the r outer end of =aleve1w448twhich at its opposite end .icarriesiar scam. rol1'r4451-runningin, a camlgroove Milan .caml288. Leveru448is; pivoted rat:45l on =a' bracketr45lasecured to the machine frame. As Sshown insFigs; l and :4, the camgroove 450 .is formed at; the :bottom of another cam groove :286, e. 'nearerthe axisof cam 288 1 "The three ejectorrods 426 are connectedat theirsupper endsltoa; horizontal plate 452 (Fig. 2) connected by a link 453 pivoted to a block 454 uslidableinaislot'inzthe rearend of alever 455 ,;:pivoted,='at 456 tolugs -extendingupward from "1 thermal-A28. ,:This:lever 455 is raised to retract nthe ejectors:426rby.1a rod-,458-pivoted thereto at $460 which yin turn: is: lifted when the lower; end of therrod-comesrinto contact with thetablel2. HA? coiled i tension-spring; 462; tends constantly to movetherear; end of-leveri455 downwardly but, whenithas' been-moved in the oppositedirection againstithemesistance of .this: spring, it is held scaas to leavemthetejectors withdrawn, i. e. at :their' highest position,1 by latch 1ever-464 to which i is "connected and 465,- sliding through a sleeve -.-461-; forminga; part: of arm 428; t A coiled spring Jill-between thelower end of said sleeve and an wenlargedolower end 4660f said-rod tends norp mallytto: hold the latch in operative position, but,

when the: lower end- 466wcomes into contact with the table 12, the latch is released-and spring 462 be'comes, effective to move the 'ejectors 426 to,

:their;lowermostposition.

, .Theqcams, and the other partsjjust described {Bria-"SO: constructed :and: arranged that the pickers 420;,throughthe-rotation-of rod '430, are moved .intoa position, as shown irrFigs. 1" and '5, immeiisadepressed andtheplugs-R-are clamped, as shown in r-Fig. =7, after whichthe pickers, are raised and therod =43!) is'rotated to carry the pickers and 1 the plugs carried thereby to position immediately-over the insertingtools I38. ,The, rod this again depressed to place the plugs closei to sand :ax-iallyi in alignment withv the tools I38, the lower ,end of-:rod 4 58iat that ;time; passiin ithrough; a clearance hole: 410- -(Fig. 4) in table J2, and .:the latch 46,4;is 1 released :so that the wejectorsrflli pnsh the plugs out oftthe pickers randiideposit them'onithe inserting tools l38and awithinysleevesiflfl which surround, those tools after which the pickers ,are again raised and turned to; inoperative: position ready .for a repee qtition; Ofrthex series of movementsw just :described.

.of articles through said: passage.

combination, a hopper'having. anexitgpassage;

raceway, a yielding guidewayl between" said passage andsaid-racewawa frame to which thehopper is secured with: means 1 having: provision for cated leveri438apivotedicin the frametand carrying. 5 acam rolli440ibearing againstia :cami442-s fixed to adjustment to vary the ang1e=of inclination:of said bottom, a stationary, flat support on which the frame is slidable, two cranks connected i to 1 the frame and mo-vable-about parallel, vertical axes, theconnections forione crank including a sliding block, andidriving mechanismifor rotat- H ing saidcranks to effect delivery of articles fromw said hopperthrough said passageto -said:raceway.

2. Article transferring mechanism having,- in

combination ar hopper having an: exit passage 4, and having its bottom inclined to'the horizontalp two cranks connected: to the hopper and movable about parallel axes, the connections for one crank including a sliding block, and. driving -mechanism for rotatingsaid cranks to effect delive 3. Article transferring mechanism having, 2 in combination, a hopper havinglan exitpassage,

two cranks connected to thehopper and movable about parallel axes, -anddriving mechanism for rotating said cranks toefiect deliveryof lar-'- ticles through said passage. 4.- Article transferring, mechanism having, .in combination, a hopper. having an exitpassage; a crank rotating in a substantially: horizontalcplane and connected to theihopper, and drivingu-mechanism for rotating said crank inonedirection onlyto effect delivery of articles through said passage, 3

5. Article transferring tmechanism having, ,in

mechanism for moving. the hopper, a stationary 'support adjacentto said :passage, and aspring at each side of said passage and connecteduatits opposite ends to the hopper andto 'thesupport to provide a "guideway for .articles delivered through said passage.

.6. Article transferring mechanismzhavin'g,;.in combination, a hopper arrangedwithi its, bottom inclined'tothe horizontal and having an"; exit passage in its'lower wall, twoseparated, low-.

CI'OSS-rl'ibS on said bottomextending fromithe opposite side walls-and with their :ends overlapping ayline extending downward along thelbottom to said passage, partitions across theitwo lower corners of the hopper, 'a-stationaryrfingerr extending to apoint above the, said bottomwand between said ribs and. said passage ,-and means for moving said hopper to cheat deliveryofsarticles through said passage. r

'7. Article transferring mechanism having-iin.

- combination, a hopper arranged with its, bottom inclined r to the horizontaland ihavingnan exit passage in one side wall and two cross-ribs on said bottom with their ends overlapping aline extending, downward along the: bottom to .said passage, and means formoving said hopperito efl'ect delivery of articles throughsaid passage.,

8. Article transferring mechanism having, in

combination, a hopper having anrexitmassage and having its bottom inclined :to-ttherhorizontah a normally stationary raceway; means for moving the hopper to effect delivery of articles through --said passage, to said raceway, and means having provision for, adjustment to-vary'the anglemf inclination of said bottom while maintaining op- 1 erative .relation between said hopper 'and said raceway.

19. Article transferringmechanism having, a in combination, aahopper having ,walls forming-mn naxit ;passage, lmQanSnfOP moving the hopper, 1a

stationary raceway, a lever mounted onthe raceway, a gate mounted on the lever. between said walls withprovision for movement of the gate toward and from the fulcrum of the lever and also laterally to accommodate relative movement between the hopper and theraceway, and means controlled by an article moving along the raceway for moving the lever to bring the gate gate to close said passage while an article is passing along theraceway past the finger, and

means for moving the hopper relatively to the raceway to effect the delivery of articles from the. hopper through said passage.

.11. Article transferring mechanism having, in combination, a hopper having an exit passage, a lever, a finger, at one end of the lever, a stop at the other end ofthe lever, the finger and stop being movable alternately into and out of the path of articles delivered through said passage,-

and means for so supporting the leverv that the fingeris normally. in said path and so that articles passing the finger move the lever to carry the stop into said path.

12. Article transferring mechanism having, in combination, a hopper having an exit passage, a gate for said passage, a raceway, a finger extending into the raceway, and connections'between said finger and said gate constructed and arranged to ,move the gate to close said passage while an article is passing along the raceway past the finger.

13. Article transferring mechanism having, in

combination, a hopper having an'exit passage, means for moving the hopper, a stationary race- 7 way, a yielding guideway between said passage -'and said raceway, a movable finger arranged in one position to engage articles in the raceway,

and a stop movable by said finger into the path of said articles for interrupting the delivery of articles to the raceway.

14; Article transferring mechanism having, in comblnation,a hopper having an exit passage, a raceway, a movable finger arranged in one posi- -tion to engage articles in the raceway, and a stop movable by'said finger into the path of said articles for interrupting the delivery of articles to the raceway.

- 15(Article transferring mechanism having, in combination, a table, a picker having at its lower 'end a rigid part to engage an article resting on the table and two spring fingers adapted to clamp the article against said part, a carrier arm in which the picker is mounted, an ejector movable axially in the picker, a lever pivoted on said arm and connected to the ejector, a spring tending constantly to move said lever in one direction,

a rod connected to said lever and arranged to come into engagement with the table at one point in the cycle of operations to move said lever in theopposite direction, a latch for said lever, a

spring tending to move the latch in one direction and a rod connected to the latch and arranged'to come into engagement with the table at another point in the cycle of operations to release the latch, a supporting rod for said car- 'rierarm and automatic mechanism including two cams and connections to said supporting-rod for moving the rod both axially and rotatively to cause the picker to grasp an article upon said table, lift it from said table, transfer it laterally, and then deposit it in a new position.

16. Article transferring mechanism having, in combination, a table, a picker having at its lower end a rigid part to engage an article resting on the table and two spring fingers adapted to clamp the article against said part, a carrier arm in which the picker is mounted, an ejector mova-, ble axially in the picker, a lever pivoted on said arm and connected to the ejector, a spring tending constantly to move said lever in one direction,

a latch for said lever pivoted to said 'arm, a supporting rod for said arm, and automatic mechanism including two cams and connections to said rod for moving the rod both axially and rotatively to cause the picker tograsp an article upon said. table, lift it from said table, transfer it laterally, and then deposit it in a new position.

17. Article transferring mechanism having, in combination, a picker, a carrier arm in which the picker is mounted, an ejector, a lever mounted on said arm and'connected to the ejector, a springv tending constantly to move said lever in one direction, a latch for said lever, mechanism for moving the carrier arm in two directions, and means rendered operative by the movement of thecarrier successively to move said lever relatively to the carrier and to release said latch.

18. Article transferring mechanism having, in combination, a picker, a carrier arm for said picker, an ejector, a lever movably mounted on said arm and connected to the ejector, mechanism for moving the carrier arm to and fro in each of two directions, and means controlled by such movement for relatively moving said arm and said lever to effect ejecting and retracting movements of the ejector.

19. Article transferring mechanism having, in combination, a support for articles, a picker, 'a carrier arm for said picker, and automatic mechanism including two cams and connections to said carrier arm respectively for raising and lowering and for oscillating said arm to cause the picker to grasp an article upon said support, lift it from said support, transfer it laterally, deposit it in a new position, and then return by substantially the same path to its original position.

20. In article transferring mechanism, the combination of a plunger having a rigid part to engage an article and two spring fingers with outturned ends adapted to pickup and clamp the article laterally against said part.

21. Article transferring mechanism having, in combination, a table for supporting articles, a picker having article clamping means at its lower end, anejector, a carrier arm for said picker and automatic mechanism including two earns and connections to said carrier'arm for moving said arm in both directions along a path correspending approximately in shape to an inverted IRA C. BUCKMINSTER; 

